The week's total was slightly more than 35,000 attendees. Initial expectations ranged between 50,000 and 100,000 spectators.

"Given this is the first year of the tournament, 35,000 is very respectable," said PGA Tour communications manager Doug Milne. "You always want to see more people, but disappointment is not a word anyone's using."

Last year, Turning Stone hosted the B.C. Open, due to flooding in the Binghamton area.

Events such as the PGA Tour will grow in future years and attendance will follow the trend, Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Chief Executive Officer Ray Halbritter said. To have 35,000 people at one event is incredible, he said.

Oneida Indian Nation spokesman Mark Emery said the overall turnout at Atunyote Golf Club was very good, and gives organizers a gauge, rather than projections, for future tournaments.

"Those are just expectations, this is real," he said.

More than 50,000 tickets were sold for the event, officials said.

Drawing a crowd
The June Travelers Championship tournament in Hartford generated a similar crowd size, and was also considered to be a successful tournament, Milne said.

Most of the tournaments in bigger cities usually generate more fans - closer to 50,000 or 60,000, he said.

Word of mouth from both players and fans could help increase attendance for Atunyote for next year, officials said.

"I absolutely see this turning into one of those marquee tournaments," Milne said.

None of the big name players - including Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson - played in this year's tournament, but there is a good chance Singh will next year, Milne said.

Halbritter said timing of a tournament is always an issue and it's something that will be discussed for next year's tournament with PGA Tour officials.

Making improvements
Planning for next year's tournament will begin in about two weeks, said Robert Harper, director of golf operations for Turning Stone.

One of the areas that can be improved is making sure the experience is as enjoyable as possible for the volunteers, Harper said. This year, there were more than 1,200 volunteers and as the tournament continues to grow, so will the number of volunteers, he said.

Volunteer marshal Dan Lucero of Earlville said his experience was great and he definitely plans to come back next year.

"Absolutely," he said. "It's been great just watching all the quality golf."

Observer-Dispatch

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